Carton



July 18, 1939. A. RANKO ET-AL CARTON Filed Dec. 11, 1937 INVENTORS LEONARD A. RANKO BY MAX FELDMAN ATTORNEYS Patented July 18, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE CARTON Leonard A. Ranko, Bronx, and Max Feldman, New York, N. Y.

Application December 11, 1937, Serial No. 179,230

9 Claims.

timeto time to sift therefrom its originally pack! aged contents.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simple form of cardboardcontainer of the type outlined which will provide an easily constructed package for'shipping and storing vendable merchandise initially in a sealed condition and which container will maintain its contents substantially sealed during the time period while it is in use after its initially sealed condition has been broken.

still another object of the invention is to provide in a cardboard carton a discharge opening for the contents, which opening is formed in efiect of small openings to form a sifter top and to provide such form of opening as will permit of an easily tearing of the parts containing the original small openings to form a discharge opening of larger or different form when desired.

Still another object of the invention is to provide in such form of carton a simple formof closure of the tuck-in tongue type to provide for an easily reclosing of the carton.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious from. an in.- spection of the accompanying drawing and in part will be more fully set forth in the following particular description of one form of package embodying the invention, and the invention also consists in certain new and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. i is a plan view of a blank scored for folding into a carton constituting a preferred embodiline 4-4 of'Flg. 2 and showing the top of the package reclosed after it had open as shown in Fig. 3.

In the drawing and referring first to the blank Ill of Fig. 1, there are disclosed a rectangular been initially torn' body portion formed of five panels separated by parallel score lines l2 and forming a rear wall l3, a left side wall I4, front wall l5, right side wall l6, and securing strip l7. Each of the panels l3 to H5 is provided at its lower edge with an extension l8 and these four extensions are designed to be lapped one on the other in any conventional manner to form the bottom closure of the completed box l9 shown in Fig. 2.

At the upper edge of the blank, the several wall forming panels are provided with extensions of which the flaps projecting respectively from the rear and front walls are relatively long, and the flaps 22 and 23 projecting respectively from the side walls It and I6 are relatively short, being approximately one-half of the length of the flaps 20 and 2i. These several flap forming extensions are adapted to be bent in overlapping relation as hereinafter described along the folding .score line 24.

The short flaps 22 and 23 are provided respectively with long narrow slots 25 and 26 extending from the outer edges 21 and 28 towards the associated score line 24 for about one-half the width of the associated flap. These slots are disposed adjacent the flap 2| and have their adjacent edges 29 straight and their opposite edges 30 tooth shaped to provide approximately small size openings 3| between the teeth. These slots are so-arranged that when the associated flaps 22 and 23 are folded towards each other in forming the carton, the slots will be disposed in alignment to form a long narrow sifter opening 32, as particularly shown in Fig. 3.

The short flaps 22 and 23 when moved into the same plane to form the lowermost layer at the top form a slitted joint 33 opening into the discharge opening 32 and thus form two corners 34 and 35 either of which may be turned easily by lifting the same from its original plane.

The flap 2| which forms the intermediate layer at the top of the carton is provided with three slits arranged to form a tongue approximately centered in the flap. These slits include two substantially parallel slits 36 and 31 and 9. connecting third slit 38 disposed in alignment with the outer edges 21 and 28 of the flaps 22 and 23. The flap 2| is scored to provide a hinge line 33 connecting the outer ends of the slits 36 and 3'l. This construction provides an inner tongue 40 which overlaps the discharge opening 32 and the lines of weakened portions, connected at their inner ends by a score line 43 in line with and adapted to be superposed over the slit 38. This construction provides for an outer tongue 44 so located when the parts are folded to overlap the inner tongue 40. The outer .edge portion of this tongue 44 forms a re-tuck closure lip 45 hinged to the inner portion of the tongue by a score line 46. It is noted from the showing of the stippled surfaces in Fig. 1 that the portion of the tongue 44 which forms the re-tuck lip is preferably not secured in place so as to permit the insertion of the thumb of the operator under the exposed edge at the point 41 in Fig. 2 and thus facilitate the tearing of the closure formed by the two tongues 4| and 44 from 'the sealed package.

In operation it is understood that the blank 'of Fig. 1 is folded along the several lines, the

bottom fastened by the interengagement of the flaps l8 leaving the upper portion of the package open for filling. It is then conventionally filled with whatever merchandise the package is intended to contain. It is herein suggested that the package is quite suitable for vending certain forms of edible products such as salt, pepper, sugar, spices, and like relatively fine particles of materials which are intended for only occasional use. In closing the top, the two side flaps 22 and 22 are folded towards each other with the edges 21 and 20 meeting in edge to edge engagement, or substantially so to form the slitted joint 33 and to form the long sifting opening 22. Then'flap 2| is folded over on top of the inner layer formed by the flaps 22 and 23 to form the intermediate layer which is connected to the two flaps forming the lowermost layer. Then flap 20 is bent over on top of the intermediate flap 2i and cemented in place, thus forming the ular merchandise used in the package.

completely sealed package ll shown in Fill. 2. In such form, the package is stored, shipped and eventually sold to the ultimate consumer with the assurance that the contents are sealed from the external air. When ready to be used, the thumb or a flat bladed instrument is inserted under the edge 41 of the lip 45 and the top flap torn along the two lines of weakened portion. As the two tongues 40 and 44 are secured,together, elevating the outer tongue 44 will carry with it the inner tongue 42 and the parts will then be in the position shown in Fig. 3. -In this position, the contents may be shaken therefrom through the small sitter-like openings thus exposed.

When the desired amount of material has been sifted from the container, the lip 45 is bent downwardly along the score line 46 and the down-turned lip tucked into the container through the opening 22 as shown in Fig. 4. To all practical purposes, the carton has been restored to its closed and substantially sealed condition and may be put away. At any time where it is desired toagain sift someof the contents from the carton, the closure formed by the tongues 40-44 is again elevated, thus exposing the opening 22 for subsequent sifting operation and in this way the closure can be repeatedly opened and closed until the contents of the carton have been exhausted.

While the present disclosure features the utilization of the carton as a sifter box, it is within the scope of the disclosure to design the slots 25-26 otherwise than as shown in order to better accommodate the discharging of the particalso suggested that in order to meet those conditions where the character of the contents may not permit of a fine sifting, that the operator can simply enlarge the opening 32 and which, operation is facilitated by the presence of the free edges 21 and 28 forming the joint. In Fig. 3, the exposed portion of the innermost layer has been torn back as indicated by the broken line to form a larger size opening than was originally disclosed and in this particular case to form a more or less V-shaped form of pouring opening. In any case the straight edge 29 is retained intact to form a guiding edge to facilitate the insertion of the tongue 45 into the carton. The width of the discharge opening permits of an easy, quick insertion of the lip in place and the tendency of the lip to move outwardly as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4 assists in fully closing, if not sealing, the discharge opening.

I claim:

l. A blank for forming a carton scored along parallel lines to form a rear wall, a front wall, two side walls and a securing strip, and said blank-adapted to be folded into a rectangular form of carton with closed top and bottom ends, each wall provided with flaps projecting from opposite ends, the flaps at one end adapted to form the closed bottom and the flaps at the other end adapted to form an initially closed top end,

.the flaps forming the top end, alternating two equal length long and two equal length short '30 flaps with the long flaps approximately twice the length of the short flaps, each short flap provided with a slot at its outer edge having one of its edges serrated and said slots adapted when the blank is folded to be in alignment to form a long narrow discharge opening, one of the adjacent long fiaps provided with a pair of parallel slits and a connecting slit to form therebetween a bendable tongue and the other adjacent long flap provided with two parallel lines of weakened portions adapted when torn along said lines to form a secondbendable tongue and said parallel slits and weakened portions located in their respective flaps so that when the blank is folded to form the carton the two tongues. will be in superposed relation and both overlapping the discharge opening.

2. A carton for use initially as a sealed vendable package and subsequently as a shaker, said carton including a body having an upper end composed of naps folded into overlapping relation to form a three-layered top end to the carton, with the intermediate layer permanently secured to both the upper and the lower layers, the lower layer provided therein with a long, narrow serrated slot spaced from. one edge tov form a sitting opening for the carton, the intermediate fiap provided with two parallelfslitsand a third slit connecting the outer ends of the parallel slits to form therebetween a rectangular bendable inner tongue with its free edge registering with the serrated slot and with the edge opposite its free edge scored to form a hinge connection, the upper layer provided with a score line overlapping the hinge forming score line of the bendable tongue and provided initially with two parallel lines of weakened portions in overlapping relation to said slits and extending from is torn along said weakened lines to form an outer tongue, said outer tongue being scored along a line overlapping the free edge of the inner tongue to form aninner portion secured small openings and constituting a sitter top and in overlapping relation to the inner tongue and movable therewith to and from their carton closing position and the free edge portion forming a re-tuck. closure lip adapted to be bent downwardly out of the plane of the inner portion and inserted into the carton past the free edge of the inner tongue and into the serrated slot temporarily to close the sifting opening after the carton has been initially opened.

3. A carton for use as a sifter comprising a body portion having a top end formed of three superposed layers, the lower layer provided with a narrow serrated slot for sifting the contents from the carton and means for temporarily closing the slot, said means comprising two superposed tongues permanently secured together to form a single hinged closure adapted to be bent upwardly to expose the serrated slot, one of the tongues being integral with the intermediate layer and the other being integral with the upper layer, the upper tongue provided with an extension forming a re-tuck closure lip projecting beyond the inner tongue, scored along a line parallel to the outer free edge of the inner tongue and adapted to be bent along said score line out of the plane of the upper layer and inserted past the inner tongue and into the carton through the serrated slot to close the same.

4. A carton top comprising two inner flaps in edge to edge relation to form a single lower layer, each flap provided with a slot in alignment with the other and coacting to form a dis-' charge opening, an intermediate flap secured on top of the two flaps forming the lower layer, said intermediate flap provided within its outlineswith a hinged tongue having its free edge registering with the discharge opening, a top flap secured on topof the intermediate flap and provided with a hinged tongue overlying the first named tongue, said tongues being secured 4 together to form asingle hinged closure for the discharge opening a'ncl'sald last named tongue provided with an extension adapted to be bent out of the plane of the top flap and inserted past said free edge and into the discharge opening to hold the hinged closure in position closing the discharge open n 5. An initially sealed cardboard carton for vending merchandise, said carton including a plurality of superposed flaps secured together and coacting to form the top of the carton, the innermost flap provided in spaced relation to its outlining edges with means forming a line of the outer flaps-forming a closure initially sealing the openings in the sifter'top and thus sealing the carton, the outermost of saidclosure iorming flaps providedwith weakened portions adapted to be torn to form a tongue adapted to be liitedirom the balance of said uppermost flap to expose the small openings and thus permit a sitting of the contents from the carton and said tongue provided with an extension constituting a tuck-in-llp adapted to be inserted into the carton to secure the closure temporarily in position closing the small openings whereby the initially sealed carton may be subsequently closed and opened from time to time to sift its contents from the carton.

6. A carton including a body provided with flaps extending integrally from one end of the body and folded to form a multi-layered top end, the innermost layer including two flaps forming a joint therebetween, each of said twoflaps provided with a slot extending from said joint and with one slot in alignment with the other to form a single long narrow discharge opening, one long edge of said opening being serrated and coacting with the opposite long edge to form a slot having a serrated side edge, and the corners of both flaps formed respectively by the joint and the associated slot adapted to be torn to enlarge either or both ends of the discharge opening at will and another flap provided with means constituting a closure for the discharge opening.

7. A cardboard carton provided with a plurality of flaps forming a normally closed top, certain of the flaps being in superposed relation and secured to each other, the innermost flap provided with a discharge opening of relatively small discharging capacity, said opening presenting edges adapted to be engaged for easy tearing to enlarge the opening at will and another fiap provided with a closure for the discharge opening, said closure initially forming an integral part of the associated flap and .sealing the opening and said closure provided with an extension forming a tongue adapted to be inserted into the carton through the opening and one edge of the discharge .opening being straight to form a guiding edge for the insertion of the tongue irrespective as to how the other edges forming the discharge opening may be torn in reforming the discharge opening.

8. A carton provided with a pair of flaps disposed in a plane in edge to edge relation to form a joint and said flaps provided with slots forming a long narrow discharge opening extending across the joint and forming therewith two corners adapted to be torn toenlarge the discharge opening, the edge outlining the opening opposite the corners being straight and the edge opposite the straight edge being of saw-tooth form to form in effect a plurality of small sifter openings between the straight and saw tooth edges.

9. An initially sealed cardboard carton provided with means forming a sifter top having a plurality of relatively small sifter forming openings, means forming a closure for said sifter top initially cemented in its closed position, said closure including weakened portions adapted to be torn apart to provide a hinged closure for subsequently closing the sifter top and means intruded through the first named means for temporarily holding said hinged closure in its closing position.

LEONARD A. RANKO.

MAX FEIDMAN. 

